Nash’s perfect shooting night tops Sunday’s S&Ds

Getting healthy has made a big difference for veteran Phoenix guard Steve Nash.

After struggling earlier this season with a nagging groin pull, Nash rebounded with his best game of the season Sunday night.

Nash hit every shot he took — 8 of 8 from the field, one 3-pointer and three free throws — and added a season-best 17 assists in the Suns’ resounding 125-108 victory over Washington.

The effort was a marked contrast to his struggles earlier this season and a return to form of one of the greatest point guards in NBA history.

For that, it was a little hard not to put him at the top of our list of our daily Studs and Duds from across the association.

STUDS

Phoenix G Steve Nash: Had a perfect shooting night as he hit all eight field goal attempts, a 3-point try and three free throws in the Suns’ 125-108 victory over Washington. Nash also added a season-high 17 assists as the Suns won for the fourth time this season after trailing by 10 or more points.

New York F Amar’e Stoudemire: Scored 31 points and grabbed a season-best 16 rebounds to lead the Knicks’ 116-99 victory at Toronto, extending their road winning streak streak to seven games.

Toronto F Amir Johnson: Produced a season-best 22 points and added a career-high 16 rebounds in the Raptors’ loss to the Knicks.

Boston G Nate Robinson: Replaced Rajon Rondo in the starting lineup with a game-high 21 points and six assists and was plus-29 -in the Celtics’ 100-75 rout of New Jersey — Boston’s seventh straight victory.

Detroit G Richard Hamilton: Matched his season-high with 27 points, including 4 of 6 behind the 3-point arc, in the Pistons’ 102-92 triumph over Cleveland.

Detroit G Rodney Stuckey: Produced a strong all-around game with 24 points, six rebounds and 11 assists in the Pistons’ victory over the Cavaliers.

San Antonio’s balanced offensive attack: The Spurs had seven players in double figures, shot 58.6 percent from the field and 50 percent of their threes in a 109-84 blowout over New Orleans.

Phoenix F Hakim Warrick: Came off the bench to score a season-best 26 points on 10-for-13 shooting and added six rebounds in the Suns’ victory over the Wizards.

Oklahoma City F Kevin Durant: Tallied 28 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dealt off three assists and had two blocked shots in the Thunder’s 114-109 triumph over Golden State.

Oklahoma City G Russell Westbrook: Notched 19 points, seven rebounds and 13 assists in the Thunder’s victory over the Warriors.

Golden State G Stephen Curry: Scored a season-high 39 points and added six assists and two steals in the Warriors’ loss at Oklahoma City.

Denver C Nene: Produced 27 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocked shots in the Nuggets’ tight 108-1o7 victory over Memphis.

Denver G Arron Affalo: Scored a career-best 25 points in the Nuggets’ victory over the Grizzlies.

Portland G Wesley Matthews: Tallied a game-high 26 points to lead the Trail Blazers to a 100-91 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers and snap their six-game losing streak.

Boston F Kevin Garnett: Notched an economicial but productive night with 13 points, 14 rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes in the Celtics’ triumph at New Jersey.

DUDS

Denver F Carmelo Anthony: Clanked through a 4-for-20 shooting effort, scoring 13 points and picking up a technical in the Nuggets’ victory over Memphis. In his last three games, Anthony is just 14-for-51 (27.5 percent) from the field.

Toronto G Leandro Barbosa: Struggled through a 1-for-9 shooting night, including 1-for-5 from behind the 3-point arc, and was limited to three points in the Raptors’ loss to the Knicks.

New Jersey C Brook Lopez: Limited to five points, six rebounds and two assists on 2-for-6 shooting in the Nets’ loss to Boston.

Cleveland’s shooting: The Cavaliers shot only 41.7 percent in a loss to Detroit — their fourth straight defeat. The Cavaliers’ margin of defeat during the streak has been 22.8 points per game.

New Orleans C Emeka Okafor: Was limited to five points and three rebounds and was minus-36 in the Hornets’ loss at San Antonio.

Golden State F Dorell Wright: Clanked through a 5-for-17 shooting night in the Warriors’ loss to the Thunder.

Washington G Kirk Hinrich: Was limited to two points and was minus-20 in only 19 minutes in the Wizards’ loss to Phoenix.

Portland F LaMarcus Aldridge and G Brandon Roy: The Trail Blazers’ two top scorers went a combined 5-for-23 from the field and were limited to 18 points in the Trail Blazers’ win over the Clippers.

The Los Angeles Clippers’ foul shooting: The Clippers hit only 26-for-41 night from the line (60.5 percent) in the loss to the Trail Blazers.